Water Runs Dry
by hotaru anne
Summary: Michael and Maria get into a bitter argument about their relationhip...yes, it's for Candy Girls/Guys! ^^


Ahhh...my first M&M fanfic...songfic...whatever. don't forget to read and review! ^^  
  
~*Water Runs Dry*~  
  
  
"What can I get you, Max?" Liz asked, flipping her plaid hair back and opening a notebook. He loved it when she did that, and she knew it.   
"Hmm…burger, fries, y'know---the usual," he replied with a thoughtful look on his face. Max watched as she scribbled the order down on a notebook. "Uh…Liz? You don't happen to know where Michael went…do you?"  
Liz frowned. "He went to the back to see Maria, why?"  
"Nuthin', really. Y'know, I'm starving."  
She grinned and went to get the food.  
A moment later, the customers started to hear loud voices shouting from the inventories of Crashdown. Max looked up from his textbook, perplexed at the stir of commotion and glanced at Liz, who was finishing his order. She too, was confused and met his glace with bewilderment.   
The doors of the inventory swung open and out stormed an angry Maria. "---I'm not listening, Michael! Y'know, sometimes I can't believe you; you're too outcasted! Too much like a damn hermit! I just want to lead a normal life, is that so hard to ask?"  
Michael bolted after her in the same degree of annoyance, the door swinging back and slamming him on the forehead. He swung it away irritantly and said harshly, "Yeah, well, you knew what you'd be dealing with the moment you found out!"  
Maria glared at him. "For once in a while, can't I just have a normal boyfriend? Just for a day?"  
"You can't change who I am, Maria!"  
"But you can change your attitude!"  
"Why don't you? You're frankly pissin' me off!"  
"Me! What about you?!" she shouted, slamming her palm square on the counter and glaring meteors at Michael, a tousle of hair bouncing off her perfectly-arranged hair. She rolled her eyes, scrambling for a notebook. "You know what? I'm fed up having to deal with this. I give up!"  
"Fine!"  
"Fine!"  
Liz, who was aware of the argument, lifted Max's order of burger, fries and drinks and started walking to where Max was sitting. A furious Maria and an enraged Michael collided with poor Liz, sending the food flying onto Max and his textbook.  
While Liz recovered from her severe encounter with the floor, Maria angrily huffed and stalked off while Michael swore beneath his breath and left Crashdown café without even an apology.   
"Oh, gosh, Max!" Liz scrambled over to Max, fries, coke and burger parts decorating his face and chest nicely. He had a sardonic look on his face and Liz placed a hand on his cheek. "Oh…are you okay, Max?"  
"Yeah, sure, I'm okay," he replied. "Does this come with a side order of ketchup and Shepard's pie?"  
Liz started to giggle.   
Max lifted up his clean hand and touched the side of her temples where she had a clean cut and blood was trickling from it. With a slow wave, as if tracing the wound, he healed her.   
"Thank you…let me help you clean you up."  
  
"We don't even talk anymore  
And we don't know what we argue about  
Don't even say I love you no more  
'Cause sayin how we feel is no longer allowed  
Some people will work things out  
And some just don't know how to change…"  
  
"…seriously, Maria, think here! I don't know what to dress up in---skimpy skirt with girly tops or jeans and earthy shirts?" Liz squirmed with such impatience. "Gosh, it feels like my first date all over again!"  
"Mmh."  
Liz jabbed her best friend playfully. "You're not helping…" Her eyes trailed off when she saw Max walking down the hallway with a gloomy Michael tagging along beside him. She continued to walk towards them, also regarding Maria's dark mood.   
"Hey, Max!" Liz greeted cheerfully.  
"Hey, Liz," Max greeted back with a smile.   
Michael and Maria only exchanged bitter glares before continuing to walk away from each other. Max and Liz shrugged before following their friends.   
"Maria, this has gone far enough," Liz stated.  
She turned her glassy eyes to Liz. "Huh?"  
Liz raised a brow. "Gosh, Maria, look at you! You act as though you don't have a clue what I'm talking about yet you walk about as if someone just walked over your grave! I can't help you if you don't talk, Maria."  
"Thank you for your concern, Liz," Maria quipped, her eyes angrily batting at her best friend, "but there's nothing to talk about. The simple truth is that there's nothing normal about my relationship with Space boy there, nothing at all. I don't know what the hell it's for anymore." She then spun on her heel and left.  
At the park benches outside, Max tried to catch up with Michael. "Michael---Michael! Wait up, geez." He huffed breathlessly when Michael stopped and turned to face his best friend. "Michael, you got to make up with her."  
"What is there to make up for?"  
Max rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that, Michael, I know you better than that. Yeah, alright, you had right to be all ticked off, but honestly, it's been a week and you're walking down the hallways like someone's broke into your apartment. It's eating you up."  
"Nothing is eating me up," Michael pointed out briskly. "You know nuthin', Maxwell, nuthin'. You have a perfect relationship with parker. You have no idea what it's like in my relationship."  
"Maybe not," Max replied coolly, "but I know you love her."  
Michael said nothing, turning away.   
  
"…let's not wait till the water runs dry  
We might watch our whole lives pass us by  
Let's don't wait till the water runs dry  
We'll make the biggest mistake of our lives  
Don't do it, baby…"  
  
The thunder rumbled as rain beated down that night. Maria sat in the living room, looking at some old photos of her, Liz and Alex, back when the days were a lot simpler. And happier.   
Maria sniffled. "Oh, Alex, we miss you."  
She turned a page to see a picture of her and a brooding Michael at the Crashdown. As much as the guy pissed the eternal vessel of patience in her, she couldn't stay stay mad at him forever. There was that special something about him that kept her locked in this dance…  
She brushed her hair back in a mass confusion when she heard someone rap at the front door. She got up to the front door to see Michael standing outside in the pouring rain.  
He looks tormented and vulnerable…  
She opened the door. "What?"  
He presented a single rose wrapped in green paper, slightly damp from the rain. "Sorry if it got sort of damp," he said darkly.   
She accepted it gingerly, touched at his gesture. "Come in…geez, you're going to get sick!"  
He said nothing as he entered the house.  
|"Give me your jacket, Michael, I'll hang it."  
"Maria…"  
"Michael, please. You'll get sick."  
He sighed and mutely handed her his damp jacket. She grasped it gingerly and disappeared to the laundry mat to hang the jacket. When she reappeared, she found Michael standing by the window, watching it rain. She watched him for a moment, watching him breathe, and his eyes straight into oblivion.  
"What are you doing here, Michael?" she finally asked.  
"To talk. Where's you're mom?"  
"Went out with Valenti. Talk about what?"  
"A lot of stuff. Where's Sean?"  
"Harassing Liz and Max's date. Stuff like what?"  
He finally turned to face her. "Like, about us."  
She fell silent as she sat down on the couch. He walked over and sat at the other end of the couch. Moments passed as they sat in silent awkwardness.   
"It hurts, y'know," Maria finally said. "Us…not talking…like this…"  
"It feels like I'm missing something."  
Maria turned to face him. "How did you----"  
"Know?" he finished. "Hello? It's me. Ever since we…slept…together…I felt like we were joined at hip, y'know? I don't know anymore but without you, I feel so…so…alone."  
Maria sobbed, tears trickling down her cheeks. "I felt the same way."  
  
"…Now they can see the tears in our eyes  
But we only deny the pain that lies deep in our hearts  
Well, maybe it's a pain we can't hide  
'Cause everybody knows that we're both torn apart  
Why do we hurt each other?  
Why do we push love away?"  
  
She breathed. "It's just…there I days we could lead a normal life, y'know? No aliens after us, no past lives haunting anything or us like that…just an ordinary human day. I wish for that. I wish for that so much."  
"I know," he replied. "I know you want that so much, but I can't seem to give you that. I'm different, Maria, as much as I don't want to admit." He hesitated, as if fighting something deep inside of him. "I'm so afraid of losing you, Maria, so afraid it scares the hell out of me. Knowing one day, I'm going to have to leave you, scared of the thought of hurting you because of my state of mind---I can't bear it." A tear spilled from his eye against his will.  
Maria moved to his side and embraced him tightly.   
"See, there's nothing normal about me."  
She looked at him. "Nah," she replied, smiling sadly. "Normal isn't as much appealing anyways." She then kissed him passionately, a flash invading her senses like an explosion. She could see stars…Michael…she could sense his fear of losing her and the joy that she brought him. "I love you, Michael."  
Michael paused, the replied, "I love you too---Maria." He then kissed her again.  
  
"…let's not wait till the water runs dry  
We might watch our whole lives pass us by  
Let's don't wait till the water runs dry  
We'll make the biggest mistake of our lives  
Don't do it, baby…"  
  
Suddenly, the door bursted open and in toppled two people, a man and a woman, drenched with rain on their clothes, apparently making out. Michael stared as Maria stood up suddenly and croaked, "Mom?!"  
Amy DeLuca, Maria's mom stopped kissing the man, and looked at her. "Oh…hello, Maria…Michael…" she said, clearly embarrassed.   
"Miss DeLuca," Michael said politely.   
The man looked at them. It turned out to be---"Good evening, Michael, Maria," Jim Valenti greeted.  
Maria turned around. "This is so embarrassing."  
All Michael could do was smile goofily.   
  
~*The End*~ 


End file.
